BRUCE VALENTINE ASHTON
Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve
LCA(HR) 1106
DIED: 06 June 1944
AGE: 23
NATIONALITY: Australian
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
He was a member of the Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve serving with the Royal Navy as a member of the crew of LCA(HR) 1106.
The Landing Craft, Assault (Hedgerow) or LCA(HR) was a small vessel that did not carry troops. It was fitted with 24 spigot mortars.
Shortly before the first assault troops landed, these were fired to try to destroy mines and cut barbed wire in the beach area.
His craft was assigned to support landing operations on Gold Beach on D-Day as part of Operation Neptune. It was accidentally rammed by a Landing Craft Tank (LCT) close to the shore and it capsized.
He drowned despite the water being very shallow as he wasn't able to get out of the craft.
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